Talk on Carron Iron Works
Friends of Clackmannanshire Museum and Heritage Service are set to enjoy a talk by author and historian Ian Scott on the famous Carron Iron Works.
The Friends meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday, Nov 23, in St Mungo’s RC Church Hall in Mar Street, Alloa.
The opening of the Carron Iron Works in 1759 signalled the start of the industrial revolution in Scotland and transformed a quiet rural community into the country’s foremost manufacturing centre.
The large, integrated works that emerged was at one time the biggest in Europe, if not the world. A huge range of Carron products carried its name to every corner of the earth, including the Carronade, the most important naval gun of the 18th century.
Famous names linked to Carron include Dr John Roebuck, James Watt, William Symington, Charles Gascoigne and the Stainton-Dawson dynasty, which ruled the company for the best part of a century. In the 20th century red letterboxes and telephone booths sustained the works as demand for cast iron declined and Carron Company closed in 1982 after 223 years.
Ian Scott is former Assistant Principal at Falkirk College, and former Director of the Saltire Society. His main interests are the history of the Falkirk area (his book on the subject was published by Birlinn in Nov 2006), Scottish literature, traditional music, Robert Burns and Falkirk Football Club.
In 2011 Ian was appointed chairman of Falkirk Community Trust. He was a founder member of Falkirk Local History Society and is the current chairman.
The evening will be rounded off with refreshments and raffle. Non-members are welcome.